Portulaca plant named ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’

ABSTRACT

Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ is a new variety of  Portulaca oleracea . This plant has a vigorous, spreading plant growth which produces large, dark pink flowers having a red center.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Portulacaplant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’.Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ is a new variety of Portulaca oleracea.The plant has a vigorous spreading growth habit and can be used as aground cover. It can also be used in a potted or hanging basketpresentation. The invention's flowers are dark pink (RHS 74A) with a red(RHS 46A) center. The flowers are single and measure 5.4 to 5.8centimeters in diameter when fully open. There are five distinct petalswith an indent at the tip of each petal. Portulaca flowers willtypically close under low light and low temperature conditions such aslate in the day and at night. ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ Portulaca flowerswill stay open later into the evening than most other cultivatedvarieties. The plant performs well in hot and dry climates. The plant isvery resistant to rain, heat and drought.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The new cultivar is propagated asexually from vegetative cuttings. Theasexual reproduction establishes that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described in successive generations. ‘Summer JoyDeep Rose’ has been reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif., andall of the characteristics thereof have been determined to be firmlyfixed.

‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ originated from a hybridization made by theinventor Hiromi Matsukizono in Japan. The female parent is a commercialvariety known as ‘Yubi® Rose’, an unpatented variety of Portulaca andthe male parent was a commercial variety known as ‘Yubi® Apricot’. Theinitial cross-pollination of the parents, resulting in F₁generationseed, was made in June, 1992. In February, 1993, the F₁seed was sown.From these plants, five plants were selected for appealing flower color.In June through September of 1993 the five selected plant lines werevegetatively propagated and tested for easy reproducibility andstability of traits. One of these five plant lines was hence selectedfor dark pink flower color, large flower size and easy propagation. InFebruary, 1997, cuttings of this plant line were sent to California.During the spring and summer of 1997 and 1998, plants were grown underthe direction and supervision of the inventor for evaluation of thestability of the line's desired traits. Plants were evaluated ingreenhouse pots at the research station at Salinas, Calif., and at thebreeding station in Kakegawa, Japan. The invention, ‘Summer Joy DeepRose’ Portulaca, was determined by the inventor to have itscharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings serve by color photographic means toillustrate the new plant variety, ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’. The colors arerepresented as true as possible using conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ flowerillustrating its color and shape.

FIG. 2 is a view of the new cultivar after growing in a greenhouse for 8to 10 weeks in a six-inch diameter pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is based on observations and measurements from14-16 week old plants grown in six-inch pots at Salinas, Calif. Theseplants were grown in plastic pots containing a peat moss-based medium.The plants were grown in the greenhouse under full sunlight in Salinas,Calif. Night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 21° C. and daytemperatures ranged from 24° C. to 35° C. The soil was not allowed tostay saturated but the plants were irrigated when the soil began to dry,or every second or third day. Soluble fertilizer was applied through anoverhead irrigation system. The fertilizer contained 18% nitrogen, 8%phosphorus and 18% potassium. Every fourth irrigation was done withnon-fertilizer water. Color designations were made according to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

Origin: Japan.

Parentage:

Female parent.—Yubi® Rose (not patented).

Male parent.—Yubi® Apricot (not patented).

Classification:

Family.—Portulacaceae.

Genus.—Portulaca.

Species.—Oleracea.

Commercial.—Portulaca/Purslane ‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’.

Plant:

Growth Habit.—Prostrate.

Plant height.—7 cm.

Spreading area of plant.—60-80 cm (in a six-inch pot).

Vigor.—The plant is most vigorous at high temperatures.

Time to initiate/develop roots.—Vegetative cuttings root in 7-10 daysafter placing into a rooting medium such as a peat moss-based mixture.The cuttings will form roots without the use of overhead mist.

Stem:

Thickness.—2.3 mm.

Color.—Yellowish green (144C) with red-purple RHS 60A anthocyaninpigment present in the axial portion of the stem.

Pubescence.—None.

Branching.—Abundant.

Length of internode.—5-15 mm.

Leaf:

Shape.—Oblanceolate with cuspidate tip.

Length (average).—2.4 cm.

Width (average).—1.1 cm.

Petiole.—Contains anthocyanin pigment (red purple RHS 63B).

Thickness.—1.2 mm.

Color.—Upper leaf surface is green RHS 137A and the lower surface isgreen (137C) with red-purple (60A) anthocyanin present at the edge.

Pubescence.—None.

Texture.—Leaf surface is smooth, shiny and wax-like. Leaves are thickand fleshy.

Flower:

Shape.—Five distinct petals with an indent at tip of petal.

Petal shape.—Heart-shaped with a square; approximately 2.0×1.8 cm.

Lobation.—None.

Diameter.—5.4-5.8 cm when fully opened.

Color.—Unopened stage (the development stage at which the petals haveelongated from the sepals but not yet fully extended and opened): Darkpink (74B); Upper petal color is red-purple (74A); Lower petal color isred-purple (74B). Mature stage: Upper petals are red-purple (74A) with adeep red (46A) center; Lower petals are red-purple (74B).

Bud.—Lanceolate shaped; mature bud measures 1.6 cm in length and 0.7 cmin diameter; color is yellow-green (145A).

Sepal.—Two sepals, deltoid shaped; measures 1 cm in length and 0.9 cm inwidth; sepals are thin, paper-like, smooth and shiny; color istransparent with green venation.

Habit.—The flowers bloom during midmorning and close at night. Eachflower blooms only once and are produced throughout the growing season.The plants produce flowers regardless of day length; the plants are dayneutral. Plants can have 40 to 50 open flowers at one time and have nofragrance.

Season of bloom.—In zone 9 and similar locations this plant will flowerthroughout the entire year. Growth is less vigorous during the cooltemperatures and short days of winter, but the plant will continue tobloom.

Hardiness.—Plant is heat tolerant; thrives in heat and humidity; plantis not cold tolerant or below 7° C.

Reproductive organs.—One pink (53A) pistil with five narrow stylebranches and many stamen with orange-yellow (17B) anthers and redfilaments; does not produce seed.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed.

Comparison with Other Known Varieties

The new variety is distinguished from other Portulaca plants known toinventor by its flower color, larger flower size and ability to stayopen later into the evening. The closest commercial cultivar that we areaware of is the Portulaca plant named ‘Yubi® Rose’ (an unpatentedvariety). The distinguishing characteristics, which differentiate‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ from ‘Yubi® Rose’, are:

‘Summer Joy Deep Rose’ ‘Yubi ® Rose’ Flower Diameter 5.4-5.8 cm 4.2-4.7cm Flower Color Dark pink with a red center Reddish purple with a yellowcenter Flower Closing Open longer in evening Closes earlier Behavior inafternoon

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Portulaca as shown anddescribed herein.